Cloudy Skies
by Fire Eyes
Summary: What if there was a female Gundam pilot...?
1. Tragedy

            Neri Duvall walked briskly through the hallways of the spaceship _Peace Million. __I don't care if this is rash – I've got to check this out, she said to herself, running the images through her mind again. __I know_ something's not right there_. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she ran into someone as she rounded the corner._

            "Hey, Neri, what's the big rush?" Duo Maxwell asked, a teasing light in his eyes.

            "Nothing," she replied shortly, not slowing her pace.

            "Whoa, hold your horses," he exclaimed, grabbing her arm. 

            Neri wrenched it away and kept moving.  "Just stay out of my way."

            _Sheesh, she's acting like Heero.  What's she hiding?  He watched her disappear around another corner, then sighed._ I _hate__ it when people do that. __Well, I won't stick my nose into her business.  With a shake of his head Duo left the corridor._

            In the landing bay, Neri ran into someone else—just not literally this time. "Where are you going, Neri?" Quatre Raberba Winner asked curiously.

            "There's something I have to check out," she said, looking up at her Gundam.

            "What's wrong?" he inquired, his eyes full of concern.

            Neri turned to face him. "There's some interesting activity going on around one of the colonies. I'm going to investigate."

            "Let me go with you."

            She shook her head. "No. I have to do it alone."

            Quatre sighed. "If you say so."

            "Thanks."  Neri flashed a quick smile of gratitude. "I'll be back before you know it."

            "Okay. Be careful."

            "I will." Neri quickly donned a space suit before pushing herself up with a strong kick and floating to the cockpit of her Gundam, Novastar. Buckling in, she activated the power sequence, waited for all the systems to activate, then entered the airlock.  After the green light flashed on and the great doors opened, she launched into space.

            Quatre watched her leave, worry creasing his forehead. "Do be careful," he whispered. _I hope it's not too serious…why'd she go off alone like that?  It's not like she has to prove her skills to anyone anymore…_

            Away from the _Peace Million_, Neri turned on her space travel engines and headed for the colony that had reported trouble. Upon reaching its zone, the young woman was shocked to see three mobile dolls guarding the colony. _This isn't good._ She quickly disposed of them with her twin beam sabers, sustaining 20% damage in the process, and tried to get inside the colony without being spotted.  Due to the two injured joints, this task was made that much harder, but after fifteen tense minutes, she was in.

            On her right screen an image appeared, showing a building surrounded by mobile suits, where people were being forcefully ushered inside. _I've got to do something! But how?  An image flashed through her head, with which Neri quickly made up her mind. She made a grand entrance by cutting a swath of destruction—one of her beam swords—through two mobile suits standing guard._

            Cries of "It's a Gundam!" rang throughout the assembled guard troops. Neri cut more mobile suits down grimly as they attempted to shoot her down with machine guns, a determined expression on her face. Then a more advanced mobile suit was in front of her. It aimed its energy cannon at her and fired. Neri only had time to raise her shield and hope for the best. The energy glanced off her shield and faded in the distance.

            A large explosion rocked the inside of the colony. Neri looked and saw that an abandoned block had collapsed in the same area that the deflected beam had gone. With a burst of energy she cut down the remaining mobile suits and rushed to the area. Disembarking, Neri saw an unconscious form lying on the sidewalk close to where the explosion had occurred. _Too close. This is not good.  I'd better see if he or she is okay._

            She jumped down using a cable and ran towards the person. She gasped as she drew near the still figure. _Oh, no! It's Catherine!_ Tears stung her eyes as she knelt down next to the motionless form of her friend and saw the blood streaming down her face. Suddenly the young woman's eyes fluttered. Neri took her hand and held it gently. "Are you okay, Catherine?"

            Catherine turned to face Neri, her expression pained. "I'm not… going to make it."

            Her eyes widened in horror.  "No! You can't say that! What about Trowa?" 

            She smiled faintly at the mention of him. "I wish…he were here…right now."

            Neri was crying openly now as she ripped off her right sleeve and dabbed the young woman's face with the cloth. "I wish this hadn't happened!  It's all my fault!"

            "We're in war…Neri, and bad things…do happen, to…to good people. You're…a soldier…a fighter…you should know that…by now. Take care of…Trowa, for me…please."

            She lifted Catherine up slightly to help her speak more easily so she could think before replying.  "Why…why me?"

            "I know…that you care…for him."

            Neri shook her head violently, drops of moisture flying away from her face with the motion. "He'll never forgive me for this."

            "We both know Trowa…and he will…recover…from this…I know…he will." Her entire body shuddered with each attempt to breathe and speak.

            "Shh, don't talk, Catherine.  You… you can still make it… just… just lie still…"

            The young woman smiled faintly.  "Thank… you… Neri."  She gasped weakly, and her eyes became unfocused.  "Good…bye…"

            "No!!!" Neri cried at the top of her lungs as Catherine fell limp. Tears streaming down her face, she carried the body of her friend over to Novastar and laid her gently in a spare compartment. She placed a sheet that she had found over Catherine.

            In a tear-filled rage Neri blasted through the colony, barely avoiding causing considerable damage to the structures around her as she tore apart the suits that had come as backup for those she had destroyed earlier.  Pausing to catch her breath, Neri looked around with wild eyes for any possible new prey.  Seeing none, yet still feeling the effects of the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she flew out of the colony and fired her engines toward the _Peace Million_.

            Once there, she landed quietly – quite different from her recent exit – and managed to carry Catherine's body to a small room without anyone seeing her. She was walking back to her room to write a farewell note when Quatre stopped her.

            "What's wrong?"

            Neri looked away for a moment, then flung herself into his arms. Quatre, surprised, just held her as she shook with sobs.

            "I…I killed…I killed Catherine."

            He pushed her to arms' length to look into her face. "What?" he exclaimed, startled at her choice of words.

            "I…I went…to check out a colony…that was having problems…you know…the one I told you I had to go alone on…and," she paused for a moment to stop her tears and catch her breath.

            He gently asked her, "And?"

            "And, there were mobile suits there, ushering people into a building against their will. I attacked and took out some of them. Then a more advanced suit challenged me. It shot at me, and I deflected its beam away with my shield. Then a powerful explosion rocked the colony, and I saw that I had blown up a whole block of abandoned buildings! Catherine must have been running away when the blast happened. I found her on the ground, and she spoke a little before…before…" and Neri began sobbing again.

            Quatre tried to soothe her. The same thing had happened to him before—except not quite so personal—and it had turned out differently than he had expected. _I'd better look into this._

            Neri looked at him with red eyes. "What am I going to tell Trowa?"

            He returned her gaze and sighed. "I don't know."

            "I have to leave. Explain to the others for me. I can't stay. I've caused enough pain already today."

            "No! Don't go."

            "But if I don't, I'll eventually run into Trowa."

            Quatre had seen her feelings for Trowa Barton grow soon after they had met each other. It saddened him to see Neri like this, especially since it had been Trowa's foster sister who had been killed. "Stay for at least one day."

            "Why?"

            "Please?" he pleaded, his gentle eyes searching hers.

            "Oh, all right," she relented. He walked her back to her room. "Let me explain to Trowa, okay?" he said.

            "Okay."

            Quatre walked back to the bridge, where he found the other four. "Where did Neri go to in such a hurry?" Duo asked him.

            He hesitated, but decided to ignore the question and simply talk to one of the other pilots. "Trowa, can I see you for a minute?"

            Trowa looked startled. "Sure."

            The two pilots left the bridge together, Quatre waiting until the door was closed and they were well out of earshot before he said anything.

            "Man, everyone's acting weird today," Duo complained as the door slid shut.

            Quatre took Trowa to a side room, away from the main hallway. "What is it, Quatre?"

            He sighed. "It's about Catherine."

            Trowa sat up straighter in his chair. "What happened?"

            "She's…she's dead."

            Trowa's face went white with shock. "How?" was the only word that escaped from his tightly clamped lips.

            "Neri had gone to a colony to check out a distress call. There was a battle inside the colony, and Catherine was killed from it," Quatre simplified.

            Trowa slumped in his chair. "I…I can't believe it. Catherine…dead?"

            "Neri brought her back for you. She's crushed. She wants to leave and never come back."

            "What?"

            "Yeah. If you can, can you talk to her? She's taking it worse than you are."

            "Later," he said brusquely, hiding the emotion welling up inside.  "I need to be alone for a while."

            "That's fine," Quatre told him gently, then left the room. Trowa sat there, immobile, for over an hour, then left for his room. Dinnertime came and went, but he did not notice. A quiet knock sounded about two hours after dinner. It was Heero Yuy, with a tray of food. "I thought you might be hungry," he said tonelessly, as was his usual manner. Walking over to the window, he paused, then said, "I'm sorry."

            Trowa looked up, surprised. Heero rarely ever responded to anything emotional, much less actually attempt to comfort anyone. _I guess Relena has really opened him up._

            "Thank you," he said aloud.

            Wordlessly, Heero turned to face him, nodded once, and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Trowa picked at his food for a while before giving up, turning off the lights, and going to bed.

            The next morning the activities on the ship were muted. A humble service was held for Catherine, at which Trowa saw Neri only once. _She's taking it hard too_, he thought briefly prior to grief dismissing it.

            Everyone offered their sincere regrets to Trowa. But, before they could reach Neri, she had left. Quatre went after her.

            "How much did you tell him?" she asked worriedly.

            "Only that there was a battle, Catherine was a casualty from it, and you found her."

            "Oh." Neri looked away, out the window. Quatre took it as his cue to leave and made his way toward the door. Neri's voice stopped him. "Thank you, for everything you've done for me, Quatre."

            He turned, smiling gently. He walked back over to where Neri was and sat down next to her. Placing his arm around her shoulders, he told her, "You're welcome." Neri laid her head on his shoulder and cried softly.

            Fifteen minutes later he had calmed her down enough to get her to fall asleep. He carefully sat up, as to not wake her, and left quietly. _I wish this hadn't happened to her. It would have been better if it had been someone else, like me. _Quatre sighed and went to tinker with his Gundam, Sandrock.

            Later on, near lunchtime, Neri woke up and decided to take a walk to try and settle herself down. _I've got to at least get a grip on myself. Tonight, though, I'll leave. It's too much to still see him, especially because I was the reason for his grief._ She walked around aimlessly, taking care to stay away from Trowa's quarters.

            Suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder. Neri whirled around to see none other than Trowa standing there. "I need to talk to you," he said.

            Neri shrank back from him. "No, you don't. Stay away from me!"

            Trowa was astonished at her exclamation. "I just want to know what happened."

            She was fighting tears. _Here's the guy I don't want to see – well, I want to see him and avoid him at the same time — and what happens? He's the one I have to run into!_ "What happened? What happened was that I killed her!" Without another word she rushed off down the hallway, trying to keep the tears at bay. Trowa watched her go, stunned.

            _I've got to ask Quatre about this!_ he thought, dashing off to find him.

            Neri dashed to her room and began packing. _I have to leave _now. _No good can come of this.  _She threw all of her possessions into her one large travel bag and left for the Gundam bay.

            Meanwhile, Quatre was in one of the data rooms, poring over shots taken from the colony battle the day before—he had asked Duo earlier to hack into the colony's system and steal the data. He took special care to run over the frame of the explosion. He saw the deflected beam shoot off into the direction of the destroyed block and saw it hit a nearby mobile suit, whose own beam went wild and hit the abandoned block.

            "Yes! I knew she didn't do it!" he exclaimed with relief.

            "Didn't do what?" a voice came from the open doorway.

            He swiveled in his chair to see who it was. "How are you doing, Trowa?"

            "Not good, but I'll explain in a minute. She didn't do what?" he repeated.

            Quatre bit his lip, not wanting to divulge the fact that Neri thought she was responsible for Catherine's death.

            "I ran into Neri in the halls, and she told me that she had killed Catherine," he said, pain evident in his voice.

            His jaw dropped. "She said that to you?"

            "Uh huh. So what's with the videos?"

            "Oh. Well, I just figured out that she didn't do it!"

            "She didn't?"

            "Nope," Quatre said happily.

            Trowa sighed with relief. "Phew."

            "Want to see?"

            "Well…"

            "If you don't want to, that's fine."

            "I do."

            "Are you sure?"

            "Yes."

            Trowa walked over to the console and waited as Quatre brought back the frame. "See, here's the deflected beam…and here's the real cause," he said, pointing each one out.

            He sat back in his chair thoughtfully. "No wonder she thought she had done it."

            Just then the door burst open. "Neri's off in a hurry again," Duo told them.

            "What?" Quatre said, stunned. "Oh, no…" he whispered, realization dawning on him. He dashed out of the room, exclaiming, "I have to stop her!" Trowa ran after him.

            "What's going on?" he asked as they hurried through the hallways.

            "You see, Neri was going to leave right after the funeral. I persuaded her to stay for at least a little while. But running into you has set her off again and I'm afraid that if we don't catch her, we may never see her again."

            Trowa's eyes widened slightly. "We better hurry, then!"

            Quatre just nodded.

            When they reached the Gundam bay, to their dismay they saw Novastar taking off out of the airlock. "We're too late!" Quatre exclaimed sadly. A movement to his left caught his eye. Trowa had donned a suit faster than Quatre had ever seen and was shutting the entry door on his Gundam, Heavyarms. Seconds later he had also blasted out of the airlock after Neri.

            Neri was about to engage her stronger set of Vernea engines when an image appeared on her right screen, stopping her momentarily. 

            "Neri, wait," the image said.

_            Trowa! Why is he coming after me?_ she wondered. _Probably for no positive reason.  It's time for me to go, anyway. _ Instead of replying she shut off the comm unit and activated Novastar's flight mode, then blasted away from Trowa and the Peace Million.

            Trowa was startled when Neri cut him off and blasted away. _[I can't go after her – by the time my own space travel engines were running, her head start would be too great. I wonder what she thinks she'll accomplish by running away…_ He shook his head and turned around to head back for the ship. The bay doors were still open, so he maneuvered his Gundam inside and shut the airlock doors and waited for the inner doors to open. Once the chamber's pressure had been equalized to that of the inner bay, Trowa was let inside and docked Heavyarms in its usual spot.

            He got out of the suit and, since the gravity in there was slight, floated over to the walkway, where Quatre was waiting. Quatre watched the airlock doors for a moment, then, when he saw that no one else was coming, turned to face the other pilot. "Where's Neri?"

            Trowa shrugged. "I don't know. She left without saying anything."

            "She didn't come back with you, then, did she." It was a statement, not a question.

            He shook his head. After a moment's silence, he said, "I'm going to check for any possible military activity in the area." Without a backward glance he left the bay.

            Quatre sighed and put his elbow on the railing, with his chin sitting in his palm. "Neri, why did you have to go?" he speculated aloud. "This isn't right."

* * *

            _Was that the right decision?_ The thought kept tumbling around in Neri's mind as it had for the past three hours of her flight. _Now where am I gonna go? I know the colonies don't want the Gundams, so I can't go home, and I can't go to Earth because it would take too long and be too expensive to come back out here if something went wrong. Wonderful._ Pushing the thought to a distant corner of her mind, she turned on her computer console and looked for the areas with the most recent military activity. _Hmm…looks like there's something brewing not too far from the lunar base…I should probably head over there and check it out._ Changing her course, Neri headed toward the moon.

* * *

            Duo walked into the room where Quatre was working seven hours after Neri's departure. "Hey," he said. "What are you up to?"

            Quatre looked up from the screen. "Oh, hey, Duo. How did your mission go?"

            "Well, I managed to destroy a lot of mobile dolls without getting Deathscythe too scratched up, so I guess I did okay," he said, sitting down.  "Did the footage I get help you out with your thing?"

            Quatre nodded, then turned back to the console without another word. Duo frowned. "Why is everyone acting so weird around here?"

            "You mean you haven't heard?"

            "Heard about what?"

            "Neri left."

            "So? She leaves a lot for various missions."

            "No…I mean she left for good."

            Duo's eyes opened wide. "For good? Why?"

            Quatre shook his head. "It's a long story."

            "Does it have to do with the whole Catherine and Trowa deal?"

            "Yeah."

            "Damn.  I didn't think she would take it so hard."

            "I don't think anyone did."

            "Yeah, well, like Heero said a while ago, sometimes it's best to act on your emotions."

            "I guess."

            "C'mon, Quatre, cheer up a little. She'll come back sooner or later, won't she?"

            "I sure hope so."

* * *

            _This looks like an okay place for us to hole up, Novastar_, Neri thought as she looked over an abandoned resource satellite about four hours after taking out a transport with a half squadron of new mobile dolls. _Not close to any areas that have experienced recent battle activity, and out of the way of all the major trade routes in the vicinity. Plenty of oxygen left…I guess it'll be temporary, then, won't it? It'll be so lonely, though…but I'm a Gundam pilot. I need to get used to that.  Besides, I have lots to do.  Novastar needs some repairs done._  Ruefully she looked her Gundam over.  _Remind me to treat you better the next time we fight._

            She activated the bay doors and entered the docking area. _Good…electricity is still working, and life support is close to 100%. Not bad for being abandoned for a few months. It'll take some work to make it feel like home…but I've got lots of time.  Yes… lots of time…_

* * *

            Three days had gone by, and at least half of those on board the ship, whether they showed it or not, noticed the difference Neri's absence had made in the atmosphere. Heero, Wufei, and Duo were all out most of the time fighting. Trowa was making some final adjustments on his Gundam to make it fully compatible with outer space. Quatre was busy helping with the maintenance of the Peace Million and tinkering with his own Gundam, Sandrock.

            Heero was out near a colony, exploring the area when a general call for help sounded over the comm system. "We are currently being invaded by mobile dolls. Any aid in our defense is desperately needed."

            As the broadcast was being made he saw a large group of dolls dispersed around the colony's immediate vicinity. "Mission accepted," he said aloud to himself.

            He fired up his engines and flew toward the nearest group of dolls. Heero expertly dodged their volley of energy from their beam assault rifles and neatly slashed two in half with his beam saber as he flew past. The cycle continued as he cut down more and more mobile dolls. He glanced up a few minutes into the fight and noticed another battle taking place on the other side of the colony. _Probably Duo_, he thought briefly.

            Not too long after that the dolls were vanquished, and, after getting a damage report from his Gundam, Heero flew over to the other side of the colony to see who the other fighter was. As the suit moved into the light he found that the suit was not whom he had expected.  It was _Novastar.  _Suddenly he activated his comm unit.

            Neri looked up seconds beforehand to see his Gundam approaching. _What's he doing out here?_ she wondered to herself.  As if in reply, Heero's image appeared on her viewscreen. "You should go back."

            "What?"

            "You should go back," he repeated, then cut the link and flew off.

            Neri narrowed her eyebrows, confused. _Why would he bother to say anything to me?  That's not like him… besides, his advice is useless.  I'm never going back.  There's no reason for it. _ With a strong shake of her head, the young woman took off for her new home.


	2. Battle

            Six hours after running into Neri, Heero returned to the Peace Million. "How did it go?" Quatre asked as he floated past.

            "Mission accomplished," was his short reply.

            "That's good," Quatre said, returning to tinkering with Sandrock in the docking bay.

            Heero floated up to the walkway. Almost as an afterthought, he called down to the other pilot, "I saw Neri out there."

            There was a loud clang as Quatre dropped his tools, surprised. "You did? How is she?"

            "Her Gundam looked fine, though a bit battle-scarred."

            "Did you guys talk at all?"

            "Yes."

            "What did you say?"

            "I told her she should come back." There was a hiss and a thud as the door shut behind Heero.

            Quatre smiled to himself. "He really is changing for the better, isn't he?"

            The door hissed open again, and Duo came floating down to rest next to Quatre.

            "Going out again, Duo?"

            "Nah—just wanted to check up on old Deathscythe here. The left arm was a little sluggish in the last battle, so I'm going to tune him up a bit."

            "Did you run into Heero?"

            "Yeah—well, not literally. We just passed each other in the hallway, that's all. Why do you ask?"

            "He saw Neri out there a few hours ago."

            Duo's eyes opened wide in surprise. "He did? How is she? Did he say anything to her?  Wait, it's Heero we're talking about."  He rolled his eyes.  "So he just saw her, eh?"

            "He said her Gundam looked fine, and he told her she should come back."

            Duo almost tripped as he jumped up toward his Gundam's left arm. "He actually told her that she should come back?  That's not normal."

            "I know. I just hope she'll take his advice."

            "Me too, Quatre."

            They each continued to work on their own mobile suits for about an hour, then Trowa floated into the bay. "Hey, Trowa," Quatre greeted him.

            Trowa merely nodded in return and landed on his Gundam, Heavyarms. "Are either of you ready to head out right away? There's a large shipment of mobile dolls heading out from the lunar base.  I'm going to intercept it."

            "I'm game," Duo told him, already closing up the panel and heading for the spacesuit closet.

            "I'll go too." Quatre said, also closing up his panel. He put his tools away, followed Duo up to the spacesuits, and put one on. Trowa was already in Heavyarms and disengaging from the dock, and Duo was suited up and headed for Deathscythe. Soon Quatre also was ready to go, and followed the other two pilots out the airlock toward the lunar base.

            Neri's alarm went off. Sleepily she turned on a light and glanced over at the display. _Mobile suits coming this way? Oh, no! _ She hurriedly got dressed and slipped on her spacesuit before throwing her belongings into her travel bag and heading for Novastar. A blast rocked the satellite. _They must have followed me here!  Damn them! I only got three hours of sleep! _

            Neri threw her bag into the storage compartment in Novastar as a third blast shook the floor beneath her feet. She glided up to the cockpit and sealed the hatch. The displays came alive as she activated the mobile suit's various systems, and she turned Novastar out toward the airlock. Neri took care to go through the airlock, rather than blast through a wall. _Hey, I might actually be able to save this thing,_ she reminded herself.

            Flying out to space, Neri headed up and over the satellite. At the top she came face to face with a sizable attack force, complete with mobile dolls. _Let's see if they're after destroying me, the satellite, or both,_ she thought as she headed away from the resource satellite. Most of the suits followed her, but a few remained to batter away at the satellite. _Damn it!_

            To vent her anger she drew both her beam sabers and sliced through two mobile dolls. Dodging a concerted energy attack by three dolls, she flew under a manned suit and sliced through its engines, causing it to explode. Seconds later she was confronted by two more dolls, who she disposed of after dodging their attacks. However, her Gundam was hit a few times in the process, leaving scorch marks and slowing the systems down slightly. But Neri ignored it and pressed on.

            "What's going on over there?" Duo asked his fellow pilots as they flew toward the moon.

            "Looks like a pretty fierce battle to me," Quatre replied as he glanced the way Duo had, over by the resource satellite.

            "Is that satellite still in use?" Trowa inquired.

            "I don't think so." Quatre frowned. "If it's no longer in use, then why is that battle going on around it?"

            "Good question. Beats me," Duo answered.

            "It seems like they're attacking a single mobile suit," Trowa noted aloud.

            Duo looked closer. "You're right, Trowa. Let's see…Heero's on Peace Million, and Wufei is on one of the colonies…it must be Neri!"

            Trowa did not comment. Instead he blasted his engines to maximum and headed for the battle. Duo and Quatre followed him close behind.

            Neri continued to battle, but the constant weaving, dodging, and attacking was beginning to take its toll, and the attacks were coming on harder and faster now. She had already taken more hits as well. _I don't know if I can keep this up, she thought wearily. Novastar, hold together!_

            A Leo suit swooped in behind her and nicked her right arm socket with his beam saber. Sparks flew, and the arm's response time and accuracy was cut in half.  _Kuso__!_ Neri cursed as she retaliated by destroying the Leo suit. _I don't have a place or the parts to repair this kind of damage. Now what? _Grimly she battled on, but resolved herself to the fact that she was probably not going to survive this.  _At least I'll take a bunch of them with me!_

            Suddenly a suit she had not touched exploded near her. _What the…_ Neri wondered to herself, startled, when a Gundam flew past her in a blur, slicing two suits neatly in half on the way and dodging the attacks of a third. _Quatre!_ she exclaimed silently as she recognized Sandrock.

            "Looked like you needed some help here, lady," Duo said over the comm unit.

            "I sure did," she replied with a note of relief in her voice, glad to know there were two other Gundams out there as well. "Novastar's right arm is damaged, and I've been fighting like this for the last half-hour or so."

            "I'm glad to know you're all right," Quatre told her.

            "Thanks, Quatre." Two mobile suits flew up to her blind spot and began pummeling her with energy attacks.

            Neri winced as the force of the assault knocked her around her cockpit, awarding her with a cut over her left eye and bruises on her shoulders and elbows. As soon as the attack had begun, it stopped with two explosions as the offending suits were vented to space by a barrage of bullets. _Trowa!_ Neri cried silently as she recognized Heavyarms' attack style.

            With the four Gundams working together—although Neri and Trowa had yet to say anything to each other—they quickly dispensed of the attacking force. Finally it was over. All that remained was a lot of floating debris, and Novastar's arm continued to spark and crackle at the injured joint.

            "What were you doing out here, Neri? And how did you end up in such a pitched battle?" Duo queried after things had settled down.

            "See that satellite? That's where I've been living these past few days. I guess from my last battle someone spotted me coming here, and sent out an attack force to take me and the satellite out. Thankfully it looks like it's still in one piece. Thanks for helping me out here, you guys." Neri turned her Gundam toward the satellite and began to head back to it.

            "Wait," Trowa spoke up for the first time. "Why don't you come back?"

            There was silence for a moment. "Why would you want a murderer to come back?" she replied icily.

            "Because Catherine's death was the fault of an enemy mobile suit."

            "What?"

            "Quatre has the footage to prove it."

            Neri was silent again. "So…you actually…you want me to come back?"

            "Yes, we do," Quatre interrupted quietly.

            "Yes," Duo echoed him.

            A third time Neri was silent, but this time it was due to the lump in her throat.

            "C'mon, Neri, let's go back to the Peace Million," Quatre invited.

            "All right."

            "What about the shipment?" Duo interrupted.

            "You and I will go take care of it," Trowa said. "Quatre, you take Neri back to the Peace Million. I think Duo and I can handle this."

            "Be careful," Neri blurted out.

            "Hey, it's me," Duo teased, covering up for her.

            "That's what I'm afraid of," she teased him back.

            "Nice to have you back, Neri."

            "Yeah. It's nice to be back," she said, smiling faintly.

            Heavyarms and Deathscythe returned to their original path toward the moon. Neri's eyes lingered on Trowa's Gundam for a moment, then she turned away and faced Sandrock. "Let's go back, Neri," Quatre said softly.

            "Yes." Turning her back to the satellite, the two Gundams headed out toward the Peace Million.

* * *

            Back at the ship, those on board warmly greeted Neri.  Even Heero welcomed her back. "I see you took my advice," he said when they were alone, his face expressionless as he leaned back against a wall.

            "I did," she replied, her face as impassive as his own.

            He turned to face her fully. "You're just going to hurt yourself."

            "What do you mean by that?"

            "You're intelligent, but you're acting stupid right now."

            Neri chuckled. "I can turn your advice back on you, you know."

            His expression was startled. "What?"

            "You know what I mean. Don't go out of your way to avoid it, that's all. I know you aren't the man of ice you profess to be." She left him standing there with that to chew on.

            A few hours later Duo and Trowa returned. "Hey, Neri," Duo greeted her with a grin.

            "Hey, yourself, you goose. How are you doing?"

            He buffed his nails on his suit in a self-satisfied way and then blew on them. "Good—had a nice little battle out there with some machines, but it was easy."

            She laughed and pushed him away. "Why do we put up with you?"

            "Face it—you like me."

            "Uh…huh."

            He laughed and gave her a hug. "Great to see you back here."

            "Nice to see you too." He walked away, whistling.

            Trowa walked up. "Neri," he began.

            She turned around slowly. "Yes?"

            "I want you to know that I'm not mad at you because of Catherine.  It wasn't your fault." He walked away before she could reply. Consternated, Neri returned to her old quarters and collapsed on the bed, exhausted.

* * *

            Less than a week later, outer space began to stir with the makings of the largest war in history, between the World Nation and the White Fang – the supposed representatives of the space colonies. Battleship Libra was the main cause of this war – its main cannon could kill millions if fired on the earth. All the Gundam pilots prepped for battle.

            Near the end of the preparations Quatre approached Neri, who was going over some last-minute data from the gathering forces. "You're sure you're ready for this?" he asked, concerned.

            She flashed him a smile. "Of course. It's what we Gundam pilots were trained for, remember?"

            "Yeah, I know. Just be careful out there, please?"

            "Sure. I'll be fine," she reassured him, noting the worry creasing his face. "You'll see."

            Hours later they launched toward Libra. Trowa, Quatre, and Duo went out after the mobile dolls. Heero went after Zechs, and Chang Wufei went after Treise. Neri dashed out to battle another wing swooping in on the others battling the mobile dolls.

            "Watch your backs, you guys," she warned.

            "These pieces of junk getting me? Be serious," Duo joked, making light of the situation. His eyes widened as a mobile doll appeared right next to him. Suddenly there was a violet-colored flash of light, and the doll exploded. Duo glanced to that side to see Neri dash off to take on another two. _I need to be careful of my blind spots_, he told himself. Keying the communicator, he told Neri, "Thanks for saving my bacon."

            "No problem. Just stay frosty." She flashed him a grim smile, then clicked off the comm and dashed into the fray.

            Later, Quatre noticed a distinct strategy to the dolls' attacks, as if they were being controlled by a single something-or rather, someone. He used the Wing Zero technology Heero had installed prior to the battle to coordinate the attacks of the three of them. _Where's Neri? _he wondered. Then a proximity alarm sounded, and he turned his attention to the battle in front of him.

            Meanwhile, Neri was battling her way toward Libra, to make sure that the main cannon was out of commission. Finding that it was, she battled all dolls that got in her way as she explored the battleship's surface for possible weak points. _I need to blow this thing up somehow. Now that its main cannon has been destroyed, they're going to ram it into the Earth. I can't let them do that! It would destroy the earth as we know it!_

            The other three pilots had soon defeated the dolls and went to Libra, docking on the opposite side from where Neri was. Each fought their own battles inside the great ship, in and out of their Gundams. Quatre was injured in a duel with Dorothy Cadelonia, and was rescued by Trowa.

            Back on the other side of Libra, after Heero had successfully evaded Zechs' attacks and disabled one of his weapons, Neri saw a terrific explosion from inside the ship. Unfortunately, there was a piece of debris as large as her Gundam hurtling toward her. Since it was in her blind spot, Neri did not know it was there until it had rammed into Novastar and sent her tumbling. The collision knocked her senseless, and she drifted aimlessly through space.

            With a brave action, Heero destroyed the last piece of Libra hurtling toward the Earth, and thereby saved it. Everyone cheered for him, and they prepared to head down to Earth. Then Quatre remembered something. _Neri! Where is she? "Hey, you guys, have any of you seen Neri around?"_

            "No's" came in from all of the pilots.

            "Let's split up and look for her," Duo suggested. He did not voice the nagging doubt in all their minds: _What if she took this chance to split and leave?_

            Suddenly a glint of sunlight off a piece of debris caught Trowa's attention. He moved toward it, and to his dismay saw that it was a mangled mobile suit – Novastar. "I've found her," he told the others in a voice suddenly raspy with unnoticed emotion. "It's bad." 

            Slipping behind her, Trowa maneuvered his Gundam so that he was in a position to grab underneath Novastar's arms and keep it in a safely locked position. _I can't afford to let go, he thought grimly, _if I'm to take her safely through the atmosphere to Earth_.  Carefully calculating his entering point and angle, Trowa told the others that he would take her down, and began to descend into the atmosphere. Friction began to heat up both Gundams. They started shaking as the forces beat on them. A few minutes later they had safely broken through, Trowa breathing a sigh of relief. A moment after that Quatre asked him, "You two okay?"_

            "Yeah." He flew her over to a secluded spot they had used before to hide their Gundams, and set her down to have a better look. Trowa then wished he had not. The right side was a mangled mess. Novastar's arm would have to be replaced, as well as the bent machine guns and twisted energy blade handle. Trowa got out of his Gundam and carefully climbed up onto Novastar, making his way to the cockpit. Pressing the emergency lever, he opened up the hatch and winced at Neri's condition. _That had to have hurt a lot.  _

            Blood matted her hair from a wound on the back of her head, and a cut over her right eye had dripped blood all over that side of her face. There also were scratches on her face and arms from material that had been jarred loose in the collision. Gingerly Trowa unbuckled her protective gear and lifted her out of the pilot's seat.

            By this time their other ship, the _Meteor_, had landed nearby, along with some of the other Gundams and their pilots. Miss Noin rushed over to see Neri, and with her were Sally Po and Quatre. They gasped when they saw her. Immediately Noin called for a medical bed and supplies. She quickly loaded Neri onto it and bandaged her wounds, with Sally's help.

            Quatre and Trowa stood to one side, helplessly, as Neri was taken care of and wheeled off. Quatre noticed that the other pilot had been badly shaken by the sight. _I wonder what he feels for Neri…_


	3. Memories

            An hour later Quatre, Trowa, Duo, Heero, and Relena Peacecraft had gathered in one of the larger rooms on the ship, their joy at the success of their mission dulled somewhat by Neri's condition. As the silence grew in the room, each thought back to when they had first met her over a month earlier.

* * *

_Quatre and Duo_

            "Hey, Quatre, there's something weird on the scopes," Duo called out to his friend one evening, who was working on Sandrock.

            "One moment—I'll be right there," he replied. Jumping off the ladder, Quatre went over to where Duo was staring at the screen. He wiped his greasy hands off with a towel as he asked, "Can you bring up a visual?"

            "I'm working on it." Taps of keys echoed in the silence for a moment, then Duo's eyes widened. "Well, would you get a load of this."

            "What is it?"

            "It looks like another Gundam."

            "What?"

            "Yeah."

            "Run it through the computer and see if it can determine any statistics."

            "Way ahead of you, pal."  A few more key taps brought up a rough diagnostic.  "It's a nice one.  Appears to have characteristics from Sandrock, Wing, and Heavyarms, too.  Aww, nothing from the bringer of death… I'm hurt."

            Quatre leaned back in the chair he was sitting in and let it sink in, oblivious to the other pilot's last remark. "So, there's another Gundam out there."

            "Ye-up.  I wonder what the pilot's like."

            "Why don't we go out and meet him?"

            Duo glanced over at his friend in amazement. "Why would you want to do that?"

            "Well, we wouldn't want to find that he was an enemy on his grounds, right?"

            "You have a point there. Okay, let's do it."

            Five minutes later the two had boarded their respective suits and had blasted off in the direction of the new Gundam. Quatre contacted Heero and Trowa en route.

            "You guys, we're on the trail of what looks like another Gundam," he told them.

            "Are you sure?" Heero replied doubtfully.

            "It sounds weird, but it seems to be a cross between your two Gundams and my own."

            "Strange," was Trowa's only response.

            "We're going to check it out. I'll contact you later. Quatre out."

            A moment later they were closing in on the location of the new suit. The two were getting close to the lunar base of OZ, where mobile dolls were being manufactured. Off in the distance they saw flashes of light resulting from explosions. "Obviously there's a battle going on there," Duo commented. "He must be trying to take out a transport going to or from the lunar base."

            "It looks like the other pilot is on par with us," Quatre mused.

            "Seriously?"

            "Seriously.  Take a look."

            The pair watched a violet-accented Gundam, similar in design to their own, cut a broad swath with his twin beam sabers and take out two suits closing in on him, then quickly turn and cut off the main weapon of another about to fire at his suit's head. Diving, he let more have their fire almost hit each other as they shot the spot where he had just been.

            "Fancy flying."

            "Mm hm. I'll try and contact him."

            Duo's eyes narrowed. "Careful. We still don't know which side he's on."

            "We're far enough away to avoid him if he's hostile. Just wait." Quatre broke their connection and established another with the unknown pilot, who had just finished his dogfight.

            _Odd_, he thought silently. _He's blocking the visual communications. Oh, well. We'll just have to rely on the voice communications instead_.

            "Hey, mister, how did you get that Gundam?" Quatre asked.

            "It was given to me because I trained to be a Gundam pilot," a female voice answered.

            _A girl is piloting that? Incredible._ "Which side are you on?"

            "Same side as yours, I suppose…"  She paused.  "…except I work alone."

            _Sounds familiar. "Why not work with us?"_

            The girl answered by maneuvering her mobile suit further away from him and Duo.  "At least tell me your name! I am Quatre Raberba Winner."

            "I've heard that name before.  I'm known as Neri Duvall," she said, introducing herself.  However, that was all she meant to say, for just then she cut the connection and blasted off.

            Quatre sat back in his seat, stunned. _A girl was flying like that, and she had heard my name before. I wonder who she is…_ "Quatre?"

            "Yeah, Duo?"

            "How did it go?"

            "Well, he's a she."

            "A girl is piloting that thing that well?"

            "Uh huh. Her name is Neri Duvall. Ever heard it before?"

            "Nope. Hey, did you record your conversation? The guys will never believe this one."

            "Of course. Without evidence, they'd think we were kidding about the whole thing."

            "Yeah, they're that way all right."

* * *

_Relena___

            Relena idly strolled around the streets of the small town near her school when there was a terrific crash to her left. Turning around, she saw mobile suits smashing the buildings all around her. Relena dashed along the sidewalk, trying to avoid the flying debris. Right as a large piece flew toward her, someone else knocked her to the ground, saving her from severe injury.

            "You need to get out of here, Miss Relena!" her rescuer told her urgently.

            "Who are you?" Relena asked, sitting up. A young woman of about fifteen—Relena's age—knelt next to her, with shoulder-length red-gold hair and green eyes. When she stood up, Relena saw that she was tall for a girl, and slender.

            "My name is Neri Duvall," she replied.

            "Thank you for saving me, Miss Duvall," Relena thanked her.

            "Just Neri will do. Do you have some form of transport to get out of here?"

            "No. I walked here."

            "Would it be all right if I took you back to your school?"

            "Yes."

            Neri led Relena to a small blue car parked in a side street. She let her in, then hopped into the driver's seat and started the engine. Carefully Neri weaved through the streets to avoid attention. _She's experienced in this kind of thing. I wonder where she comes from…I certainly don't recognize her._

            "Where do you come from, Neri?" she asked.

            "That's not something you need to know, Miss Relena," Neri told her.

            Taken aback, she demanded, "And why is that?"

            "You need to stay alive to help guide this turbulent time to peace. I can't let you get involved with me because it could destroy you."

            Relena gasped. _That's almost what Heero told me a while ago! "I'll destroy you." …Except she said it a little bit better than he did_. "Are you a Gundam pilot, then?"

            Neri glanced over at her, then back at the road. "I am. How much contact have you had with Heero Yuy?"

            "A lot. Why?"

            "You need to stay away from him. He's good, but very focused on our mission. You must understand this. I'm only saying it to protect you," she finished, seeing Relena open her mouth to protest.

            Relena did not have time to respond, for they had reached her private school. "Thank you for bringing me back, Neri," she told her.

            "I did it only for your good." With that, Neri shut the door and drove off, leaving Relena standing on the front steps staring after her.

* * *

_Trowa and the others_

            "Quatre, Duo, there's another mission for us," Trowa told them right before lunch one week later.

            "Aww, man, do we have to go before lunch?" Duo complained.

            "Yes."

            "Damn it."

            "Where?" Quatre asked.

            "There's a group of mobile doll parts being shipped in to the lunar base that we're to destroy," he informed them.

            "Sounds straightforward. What kind of protection does the convoy have?" Quatre inquired.

            "Some completed mobile dolls and manned suits," Trowa replied.

           "Let's hurry up and get this thing over with," Duo said, already halfway out the door.  "The God of Death likes to eat, so I'm gonna make this one quick fight."

* * *

            Minutes later they had changed into their pilot's suits, boarded their respective Gundams, and launched into outer space. When they reached their destination, they saw that a battle was already taking place.

            "Guys, it's that Gundam again," Duo announced.

            Quatre squinted, trying to make it out, then zoomed in with his right screen. "It's her, all right."

            Trowa merely blinked. "You're _sure that's piloted by a girl?"_

            "Uh huh." By this time they had reached the outskirts of the battle. A mixed group of thirty mobile dolls and suits were guarding the transport, with others who guarded the lunar base fighting the other Gundam. Duo equipped his energy scythe, Quatre his twin curved blades, and Trowa his arm blade and machine guns. The three joined the battle, each taking on two or more mobile suits/dolls.

            "What are you guys doing here?" a female voice sounded in all of their cockpits.

            "We were assigned this mission too, Neri. It's obviously a job for more than one of us," Quatre replied.

            "Ah." 

            "Neri, eh," Trowa commed to Quatre alone.  "So it is a girl."

            "Yes."

            By this time the three guys had spread far apart, each taking care of himself. They communicated frequently to point obscure things out that one could see from his angle, but one or both of the others could not. After a while the Gundams had broken through the protective net of the lunar base's forces, and were fighting the escort group of suits/dolls.

            Trowa was battling his way through them just fine when all of a sudden he was boxed in. Well-placed laser shots hit the sides of his Gundam. He was about to be rammed in the back when an explosion sounded from behind. Before the light had even begun to fade the other Gundam had shot through the debris and cut two suits—which had been helping to box Trowa in—in half, causing them to explode. He whistled. She's good, real good. "Thanks," he told her.

            "No problem," she answered, then flicked off the communication unit and destroyed another mobile suit that happened to be in her way.

            Trowa dove, avoiding the shots of an enemy mobile suit, then noticed that there were three mobile dolls after Neri's Gundam. _They're attempting to cut us off, one by one_, he thought grimly. He turned away from where she was, to make the dolls think that he was going away from them. With a burst of speed Trowa dashed by one of the dolls, slicing it neatly in half.

            _What the—_ Neri thought as she saw the flash of light from the explosion. She whirled her Gundam around and saw Trowa battling two mobile dolls. Diving down, she maneuvered her suit underneath the mini-battle and fired her guns, destroying one of them. With a burst of bullet spray, Trowa blew up the other.

            "Did they go after you or something?" Neri asked.

            "No.  They were after you. Three of them were homing in for the kill when I spotted them."

            Neri realized he had just saved her from serious damage—or even from getting killed. "Thanks. I owe you one."

            "Consider my debt repaid, then," Trowa replied, referring to moments before when she had gotten him out of that box-in.

            "Sure," she answered. _That guy does not want to be dependent on anyone, or owe anyone anything, she said to herself. __Interesting.__ That one has quite the armored shell around himself._

            "There's an opening over here, guys," Duo called out to them.

            Neri turned in his direction, glanced down at her console, and gasped. "Watch it! It's a trap!"

            Duo veered out of the area—and just in time. A laser cannon mounted on the transport's port stern flashed, and a large energy beam shot through the space Duo had just vacated. _Damn. I need to be more alert. "Thanks."_

            "Don't mention it. This is an armed transport. It won't be easy getting to the engine section to trigger an explosive reaction, you know."

            "Obviously," he told her, rolling his eyes.

            "Sorry. I don't mean to sound like a know-it-all, Duo."

            "Hey, how do you know my name?"

            "Your broadcasts to each other aren't exactly the most private things in space," Neri said dryly.

            "Oh."

            A few minutes later Neri saw an opening and went for it. She sliced through one of the transport's wings and sent it sailing. Quatre flew in and finished the job, generating a terrific explosion.

            "Quatre!  Port side!" Duo exclaimed, spotting something.

            "What?"

            Neri's eyes widened.  _He can't see it, and Duo's too far away. There's only one thing I can do. Novastar, hold together!_ Neri turned on her space travel engines for a brief second, then turned them off again once she had gained enough momentum. Ramming into Quatre's Gundam, she knocked him out of the way of the flying wing from the transport. Unfortunately, the wing ended up ramming into her, instead.

            Duo whistled.  "Nice save, Neri.  Are you all right?"

            The force of the impact sent Neri into a slow spin. Slightly dazed, it took her a moment to reorient herself and stop the spin of her Gundam.  "Unh…"

            "Are you all right, Neri?" Quatre repeated. "Thanks for saving me. I owe you one."

            "Duo gets part of the credit," she replied weakly.  "He was the one who yelled."

            "Yelled?  Hey!  I don't yell."

            Neri, remembering that they had returned to video communications, mock scrubbed out an ear.  "Really."

            The brown-haired pilot crossed his arms and tossed his head back.  "Yes, really."

            The young woman tried to keep a straight face, but burst out laughing at Duo's comical expression.

            "I hate to break up comedy hour, you two, but Neri's Gundam isn't in the best shape.  Neri, would you like to come back with us so we can get your suit repaired?  It's the least we can do."

            "Aw, Quatre, I was just getting on a roll."

            "Some roll," Neri said dryly.

            "Quatre has a point," Trowa interjected, speaking for the first time.

            Neri paused, weighing the risks and benefits in her mind, and recovering from the shock that he would suggest that.  That and the fact that he had actually spoken. _Maybe he doesn't actually consider his debt repaid_. "All right."

            Quatre smiled. "Good." _Now I can get to know this girl better. And how she had heard of me._

            They landed at an abandoned base on an ocean shore shortly after coming through the earth's atmosphere. Neri was the last to land and disembark. She walked around Novastar, examining it, ignoring the covert stares of Quatre and Trowa and the not-so-covert one of Duo. _So, she's good looking as well as a top-notch Gundam pilot. Not bad_, he thought.

            The three guys eyed a tall, slender young woman about their own age with shoulder-length red-gold hair and green eyes wearing a pilot's suit similar to their own. _Why, she's almost as tall as me! Trowa thought, astonished, for he was easily the tallest of the male Gundam pilots._

            Neri leaned against her Gundam, grinning as she shook her head. "I feel like a horse at auction," she teased.  They coughed in embarrassment and looked everywhere but at her – well, Quatre and Trowa did.  

            After a moment, Quatre spoke up.  "Would you like something to eat? We were called out right before lunch."

            "Sure. Thanks," Neri replied, smiling. "I had the same thing happen to me. I'm starved."

            "Yes!" Duo said, pumping a fist into the air and startling the female pilot. "I just know we're going to be friends."

            "What's up with him?" she asked, pointing her thumb at Duo.

            "Oh, he was annoyed that we had to go out before lunch. Don't ask. You'll understand if you get to know him any better," Quatre told her.

            "I can already see that he's blunt."

            "That's Duo for you."

            "Hey!" he said, indignant. They started laughing, and walked inside the main building to the mess room.

            Inside, they met up with Heero and Wufei, both back from their own missions. The two turned from their meal as the others walked in, and were startled to see Neri with them. _What's a girl doing in a Gundam pilot's suit? Wufei wondered. __Girls are weak, and shouldn't be piloting mobile suits of any kind._

            Heero's chin was resting on his hand, his elbow sitting on the table where he was seated. _Must be Neri Duvall, that female pilot Quatre was talking about. She can't be much older than we are._ He frowned. _I'll wait to appraise her piloting skills 'til I see her in battle._

            "Hey, guys," Quatre greeted them. "Did your missions go well?"

            "Fairly," Wufei replied.

            "Accomplished," Heero told him.

            "Great. Guys, this is Neri Duvall. Neri, this is Wufei and Heero," he introduced them, indicating each in turn.

            "Nice to meet you," Neri told them politely.

            "Pleasure," Wufei said, with a slight undertone of hostility that she barely caught. Heero merely nodded.

            _Wufei doesn't like me, and Heero keeps to himself, although there's a sharp brain behind that aloof expression. It looks like I'm going to have to prove myself to both of them somehow—if I decide to stay on with these guys—and that won't be easy_.

            As soon as it became apparent that no one was going to say anything else, Quatre led them to the kitchen and each prepared their own meal.

            A few days later, after Neri had decided to stick around, almost everyone had become comfortable with having her there part of the time. As soon as her Gundam had been repaired, she had taken off for hours at a stretch, attending to different assignments given her. By this time both Sally and Noin had dropped in for a visit and met her. Noin took a liking to Neri instantly—both piloted mobile suits—and Sally saw in her a determination that matched her own to see peace return to the earth.


	4. Recovery

            Quatre sighed. _She's been out for almost a day, with no signs of reviving, he thought sadly. _What's odd is the way that Trowa has been by her side almost constantly. I wonder what's going through his mind right now.__

            Trowa was startled out of his doze a few hours later, at about three in the morning, by a tap on his shoulder. "Wh-what?" he asked groggily, blinking.

            "You need to get some rest," Quatre told him. "It won't do Neri any good if you end up getting sick on us."

            "What if she wakes up?"

            "Let me check the monitors." Quatre walked over to the many screens that were hooked up to Neri to monitor her vital signs. "If she does wake up, it would be because she can hide things from the computers. I doubt she'll wake up for at least another eight hours."

            Trowa stifled a yawn. "I'll take your word for it."

            "I'll wake you up if anything changes."

            "Thanks."

            "No problem."

            Trowa slowly stood up and stumbled to his quarters, where he rolled onto the bed and fell right asleep. Quatre stayed in the room where Neri lay in a coma, keeping an eye on her and hoping for the best.

            The next morning Quatre walked by Neri's window and happened to see something that made him stop dead in his tracks. Trowa was leaning over Neri's still form, gazing at her with a look in his eyes that Quatre could not quite put his finger on. Then he gently caressed one of her cheeks with his finger before turning and leaving the room.

            The young pilot was bewildered by this show of affection. _I thought he only needed his sister, and that her loss broke him for any other girl…so what's this? Unless...unless he somehow sort of liked her before Catherine's death, and everything that's happened has deepened his feelings for her. I'm confused…I wish I knew what he was thinking._  Quatre sighed, then shook his head as he walked into Neri's room.

            Five minutes later her heart monitor began to speed up slightly. Quatre looked up at it, then glanced back down to see Neri's hand move. He was about to leave and get Trowa when her hand caught his wrist with a surprisingly strong grip. He stopped moving and turned around to face her.

            Neri's eyes flew open. "Wait, Quatre." The expression on her face was odd, yet unreadable.

            "What is it?"

            "I need to tell you something. Do you remember when you first met me?"

            "How could I forget?"

            She smiled faintly before continuing.  "Remember how I recognized your name?"

            "I have always wondered about that."

            "I knew your name because...because we're cousins."

            Quatre's eyes widened and his jaw dropped in shock. He stepped backwards and would have fallen if the chair had not been there to catch him. "What?"

            "Well, second cousins. My mother is your mother's cousin."

            "But…how come we had never met before this?"

            "Because your parents and mine had a falling out years ago, when we were both about one year old, and haven't spoken since. I overheard my parents speaking about your family one day when I was seven and resolved to find out more about you. Then, not too long ago, I accidentally read an entry in my father's journal about you becoming a Gundam pilot. That's why I wasn't too surprised when you told me your name then."

            Quatre was silent for a moment as he let it all sink in. "I'm glad, Neri."

            Neri gave him a surprised look. "About what?"

            "It's nice to have one of the family fighting with me." He smiled gently. "Hey, how do you feel?" he asked, changing the subject.

            "Weak. How long have I been out?"

            "About two days."

            "Sheesh."  She attempted to sit up, then fell back down in exhaustion.  Quatre started to get up, but she waved him off.  "So…what happened to Libra?"

            "Most of it was destroyed by an explosion triggered by Zechs, and Heero took care of the last piece that was falling toward the earth."

            "Good.  So he caused that expl—" Neri closed her eyes and dropped off to sleep so suddenly that it scared Quatre for a moment. Once he saw that she was still breathing, he relaxed.

            Then he thought of something. _Oh, no…Trowa wanted to be here when she woke up! What will I tell him? He glanced over at Neri's sleeping form__. I just won't tell him that she's already woken up when he comes back. This decision made him feel guilty, but he tried to ignore it._

            About half an hour later, around dinnertime, Trowa came back with a tray of food and some drinks. "Quatre? You hungry?"

            "Yeah. Thanks."

            "Any signs yet?"

            "Her pulse quickened a little while ago, but then settled back down, and she didn't wake up," he lied. _I wish he had been here...I really don't like doing this._

            "Oh."

            They sat there waiting for two hours. Relena, Noin, and Sally all came in to check on Neri, then left after sitting with her for a while. Both pilots were about to get up and leave when Trowa glanced over a Neri one last time and her eyelids fluttered.

            "Neri?" he asked, walking around the bed to stand next to her head. Quatre moved over beside him.

            Her eyes opened. "Trowa?"

            He smiled gently. "Quatre's here too. How are you feeling?"

            "Better." She tried to sit up, successfully this time. "Sore. How does Novastar look?"

            "Bad, but not as bad as when we found you," the brown-haired pilot told her. Quatre noticed that Trowa had said _we_ and not _I, even though it had been Trowa himself who had located her drifting in space. _I think he's hiding his feelings from her_, he thought to himself._

            "Are you fixing her for me?"

            He nodded. 

            "How extensive was the damage?" Neri queried, all business as she tried to fight the feelings welling up inside of her due to Trowa's close proximity.

            "The right beam saber handle was crushed, as well as the right arm and a lot of the right machine guns."

            "Ouch."

            "The cockpit was rather damaged as well."

            She whistled.  "Thanks for everything, you guys.  And I don't mean just the repairs."

            "Hey, no problem," Quatre said.

            Neri blinked suddenly.  "I hate to be a bother, but can one of you get me something to eat? I'm starved."

            Trowa left the room after a quick nod.

            The young woman turned to Quatre. "That was…unexpected. I thought you would do it."

            "Weird." He frowned. _Should I tell her? No…if she ever finds out, it'll be either from her own deduction of from Trowa himself._

            Neri caught the odd expression on Quatre's face. "Is something wrong?"

            He turned to face her, smiling gently. "I'm just glad you're feeling better."

            "Thanks." _That's not__ what he was thinking about. I wonder what he's hiding. "You look tired."_

            "We've been keeping an eye on you almost around the clock ever since Tr--we found you."

            She caught the slip, but figured it was a mistake – Trowa did not do that kind of thing.  "We?"

            "Trowa and I have been looking out for you, and Duo stood a watch or too as well."

            A pink tint colored her cheeks. _Maybe he does…oh, well.  I'm sure he wasn't around all that much.  "You guys didn't have to do that."_

            "We wanted someone to be here when you first woke up."

            "People would be amazed to find that the hard-edged Gundam pilots have hearts after all." When Quatre opened his mouth to protest, she continued, "But those are the people who don't know you. Sometimes I even find it hard to believe that someone as sweet as you could fight like that."

            Quatre looked away bashfully. The two were silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts, when Trowa walked in with a tray of food. Neri's eyes brightened at the sight. Then there was an odd gurgling noise, and she blushed. The two guys laughed.

            "You really are hungry," Trowa teased, his normally somber eyes holding a slight twinkle.

            "Yeah," she said quickly, wishing to eat as soon as possible.  Her wish was soon granted and she dove into the chicken salad with relish.

            "Hey, not so fast! You'll make yourself sick," Quatre admonished.

            "But it's so good and I'm so hungry!" she exclaimed around a mouthful of lettuce.

            They laughed again and left the room to get themselves something to eat. When they returned an hour later Neri was sleeping peacefully, the tray on the bedside table completely devoid of food.

            "She looks more relaxed now," Trowa commented softly.  "Not like when she was in a coma."

            Quatre was surprised at his openness. "I agree."

            Trowa set his elbow on the sill and rested his chin on his folded hand as he gazed through the glass at her sleeping form. Quatre headed down the hallway toward the Gundam bay. But curiosity got the better of him and he waited out of sight around a corner.

            After about five minutes Trowa straightened and left for his own room. Curiosity satisfied and feeling a little guilty, again, the blond pilot headed for his original destination.

            The next morning Neri woke up early, before anyone else was up. She felt good enough to carefully make her way to the mess room after changing without anyone noticing. So, when Duo walked in to get his own breakfast twenty minutes later, he was surprised to see her up. No one besides Quatre and Trowa knew that she had woken up, so seeing her was quite a shock.

            "Neri! When did you wake up?"

            "Well, late last night for the first time, then went back to sleep--a normal one--and woke up about an hour ago." [No one needs to know about me waking up and talking to Quatre. They can find out about our relationship later, on their own.]

            "How are you feeling?" he asked after he had grabbed something to eat and sat down next to her.

            "A lot better than last night, thanks. And thanks for keeping an eye on me part of the time."

            "How do you know that?"

            "Quatre and Trowa were there when I woke up."

            "Oh."

            "Novastar looks pretty bad, huh?"

            "Yeah. I saw the piece that hit you, since it was partly embedded in your Gundam. It was a big 'un. Did you see it before it hit you?"

            She shook her head. "I don't think so. I must have been looking to the left when it collided with me. Yeah, I think I was, because there was an explosion that distracted me for a moment," she told him, straining to remember.

            "Hey, you take it easy, okay? I know we pilots were trained to be rather tough--though I don't think anyone's as tough as Heero, who snapped a broken bone back in place himself once."

            Neri's eyes widened. "He did what?"

            "I never told you about that?"

            "Uh-uh," she said, shaking her head.

            "Well, it was right after Operation Meteor, when we five were sent to Earth." Duo paused for a moment and frowned. "I don't think I ever found out why you weren't part of that."

            "Oh, well, it's because I was trained as a backup, just in case the battles started taking place in space, posing a threat to the colonies. They never thought OZ would go that far, however--I mean the Romefeller Foundation. I was a little envious, because then I was itching to go into battle. Anyway, that's why you first met me in space, and not on Earth."

            "Oh, I get it."

            "Are you going to finish your story?"

            "Oh, yeah. Sorry."

            "That's okay."

            "So, what happened was that Heero was discovered by Zechs on his way through the atmosphere--forcing Heero to go into battle mode, and Zechs managed to pin his Leo model suit onto the Wing Gundam, sending him crashing downward. It injured Heero pretty badly.

            "So, Relena found him lying on the beach, unconscious. She had called for help already, but Heero, when he woke up and saw her there, ran off before anyone could figure out who he was and what he was doing there.

            "I met him a few days later, where he had Relena at gunpoint. So I ended up shooting him--remember, this was before we all had met and become friends--Relena got mad at me, and I rescued his Gundam from its rocky bed in the sea. Heero had been planning to trigger the self-destruct sequence with missiles, and the explosion knocked him out, 'cause he thought I was taking it or something.

            "Anyway, he ended up in a high security medical facility, on one of the higher floors. I planned on getting him out of there, which was pretty easy. When we jumped, though, he barely put out his parachute in time. If he had delayed any longer, he would have killed himself. When he landed, he broke his leg and sprained his arm, I think.

            "So, I took him back to my place, and got his Gundam fixed up. Then, I was sitting there one morning minding my own business, when I saw him rolling on the ground, groaning."

            "What was he doing?" Neri interjected.

            "That's what I was wondering. I asked him multiple times, and he didn't answer. Then I figured out what was going on, and snap! the bone went back into place. Not a pretty picture. He then bandaged it up and walked off with only a slight limp."

            "Ouch."

            "Yeah. I said to myself, 'Man, that totally grosses me out just thinking about it.' And there I was, seeing him do it right in front of me."

            "No, I don't think I could be that tough."

            "Me either. But it's a good thing he is that way, because I don't think we would have made it without him."

            Then footsteps sounded, and the two turned to see Quatre, Trowa, and Sally walk in. "What are you doing up?" they exclaimed in unison as they spotted Neri sitting there.

            "I was hungry," she shrugged.

            "You shouldn't be up yet," Sally admonished.

            "Really, I feel a lot better."

            "You should at least stay rested, for a while," Trowa advised. Quatre saw a line of worry crease his forehead, but stayed silent. [I wonder if Neri has noticed anything yet.]

            "Oh, all right," Neri relented. She stood up, having just finished her meal, and slowly walked back to her quarters--not the room she had been lying unconscious in. Entering, she walked over to the two-person sofa, not feeling tired enough to go to bed. Neri sat down and gazed out the window into the sky, remembering when she first heard about Gundams...


	5. Neri's Story

            "Dad, can I go to Anya's house to spend the night tonight?" twelve-year-old Neri asked her father, Gavin Duvall, one summer morning. "She's on the phone, waiting for an answer."

            "Yes, as long as you're back by noon tomorrow. Remember, we're going down to Earth for a week."

            "Yeah, I know. I've never been to Earth. This will be so cool!"

            "Are you packed?"

            "Pretty much."

            "Okay. Tell her I'll drop you off at seven on my way to a meeting."

            "Thanks, Dad!"

            Her father smiled as Neri dashed off to tell her friend the good news.

            At 6:45 that evening Neri had her things all ready and loaded them into the car._ I can't believe that tomorrow I'll be on my way to Earth! the young girl thought excitedly as they drove out onto the main road. She glanced at her father, who had a serious expression on his face. Glancing back out the window, she wondered, _What___ is this meeting about? Probably just something else to do with building spacecraft, since that what he does at work. But why is it held so soon before we go to Earth? I wish Mother were still around…it's hard on a girl to grow up with only her father._

            Neri closed her eyes as time flew five years into the past.  Her mother had been returning from another colony on one of the inter-colony transports when it exploded, killing everyone instantly. Both she and her father had been stunned, and it had taken a few weeks for it to really sink in. It had taken a long time for them to recover, but they were able to eventually get on with life. _Then, days before my tenth birthday, Dad started going to all of these meetings. I think it added stress on him, because he isn't as happy-go-lucky now as he was then._

            Soon they reached Anya's house, and Neri kissed her father goodbye.

            "Remember, I'll be here at noon," he reminded her.

            "I know. Bye, Dad," she waved as she entered the house.

            "Bye," he called out, and drove off.

            Neri had not seen Anya, her best friend, for over a month, since she had been on another colony visiting relatives. They laughed and played together for a long time, staying up late and catching up on each other's recent activities.

            "So you're going to Earth? Not fair!" Anya said, mock-pouting.

            "Yeah. And I won't be back until school starts!"

            "I don't even want to think about that. I love summer! Even though I have no idea what it's really like."

            "I'll tell you when I get back, because it's summer where we're going."

            "Where are you going?"

            "I think to where the Cinq Kingdom once stood. I want to go there so badly because I've studied it so much."

            "Yeah. It's been eight years, right, since it was destroyed?"

            "Uh huh."

            Soon afterwards the two girls went to sleep, and did not wake up until ten the next morning.

            "So how late did you girls stay up?" Neri's father asked after he picked her up.

            "Uh…two…I think," she told him.

            He laughed. "That's not too bad, considering when I was younger, I once stayed up until eight the next morning."

            Neri looked at her father, eyes wide. "When did you sleep?"

            "During the day."

            "Wasn't that weird?"

            "Yeah, but I only slept for about four or five hours, then went to sleep early the next night."

            "Oh."

            They pulled up at their house and called a taxi once inside. When it got there, they loaded the trunk with their luggage and left for the spaceport.

            Once onboard, Neri's eyes began to sparkle with excitement. "I can't believe we're actually going!" she exclaimed.

            Her father chuckled. "I was this excited when I was your age," he told her.

            Neri peered out the window as they took off, watching the colony recede into the background. She watched them pass two other colonies as they headed toward the earth. Eventually the green-blue globe ahead of them grew until it filled almost the entirety of her view. "Wow, it's sure pretty from up here," she commented.

            "Never forget how beautiful the earth is from space, Neri. It's not something everyone can witness."

            She nodded, and continued to gaze at the glowing sphere in front of them.

            Over the intercom, the copilot announced, "Everyone, make sure you are buckled in. We are about to enter the atmosphere. Do not worry. The shaking will only go on for about two minutes or so."

            Clicks sounded all around as passengers fastened their restraining straps and prepared for reentry.

            Three minutes later they had fully broken through the atmosphere and were flying over a vast expanse of water. It was a clear, sunny day.

            "Dad, it's so different! Is that the sun?"

            "Yes."

            "And is all that blue stuff ocean? Which one?"

            "We're over the Mediterranean Sea right now. We should land pretty soon."

            "Dad?"

            "Yes?"

            "Will I be able to fly something while we're down here?"

            "I'll see what I can do."

            "Thanks, Dad!" Neri grinned at her father and returned to watching the land come up at them.  _He said he'd see what he could do!  I might actually be able to fly something more than a bunch of data on a video game!_

            The rest of the flight was uneventful. They landed smoothly and received their baggage without delay. "Where are we going first?"

            "To our hotel, so we can put our things away and get checked in before we do any sightseeing."

            "Okay. Wow, Earth is so different than the colonies!"

            "Yes. Here the air is fresh, not recycled, and the sun heats the land. There's also weather, which you've never truly experienced."

            "Weren't you born on Earth, Dad?"

            He nodded. "We moved to the colonies when I was three, so I didn't really live down here long enough to miss it. I really don't know how your grandparents handled it. It's a big change."

            "I'll say. Is that a cloud?" Neri asked, pointing to a puffy white cumulus sitting in the sky.

            "Uh huh. Oh, here we are," her father announced as they pulled up in front of their hotel. They walked in and checked in quickly, then rode the elevator up to their room on the fifteenth floor.

            "Can I open the door, Dad?"

            He chuckled. "Sure."

            She took the keycard and slid it into its slot. The light turned on and there was a ping as the door slid open. They placed their baggage on their respective beds once they were inside. Neri stared out the window as her father used the phone. A moment later he hung up and walked over to the window.

            "Look at all the trees!" she cried as her eyes danced over the landscape in front of her.

            "Hey, I got you a slot at the piloting simulator in an hour. Are you up for it?"

            Neri looked up at her father, eyes shining. "Oh, yeah! Thanks so much! I can't wait to get into a real one! Those ones at the arcades are so pitiful!"

            "I know—you always beat them so quickly," he said proudly. "Why don't I show you the plant, you know, how they're made. It'll kill time before your simulator run."

            "Cool!" Soon afterwards they were in a taxi headed for the craft manufacturing plant. _Dad never did tell me what kind of craft he built…I bet he had to pull quite a few strings to get me this simulator run. I can't wait! This will be so fun!  It's not a real craft, but that's okay…a normal sim!  Not an arcade!  Sugoi!_

            Once they reached the plant, her father showed his company tag, which admitted them immediately. He took Neri through the area where they received the metal for constructing the spacecraft and showed her how they fashioned the smaller pieces of the craft, then put them together to make the finished product.

            When they reached the finished section, Neri's eyes widened. "I didn't know your company made mobile suits!" she exclaimed after seeing a finished one.

            "Yes, we do. In fact, that's what simulator you'll be in."

            "What?"

            "Since you're so good at the arcade games, I thought you'd be really good in a suit simulator."

            "Piloting a mobile suit…wow!"

            "A simulated mobile suit, yes."  He glanced at his watch. "We better go…you're simulator is waiting."

            Five minutes later the two were in the simulator room, Neri prepping for entering one of them. A technician explained the controls to her.

            "You'll be able to choose whichever scenarios you wish," the technician finished. "There are many from a simple reconnoitering flight to complex battles."

            Neri's eyes glowed with anticipation. "Okay. I'm ready."

            "Have fun," her father told her.

            "Don't worry—I will." Neri hopped into the simulator and closed the hatch. Immediately the screen came on, showing a list of scenarios, the easiest at top and the hardest at the bottom. She scanned the list as she strapped herself into the harness.  She soon chose one near the top, since she had never before done anything with these controls before.

            The list vanished. The inside of a carrier ship replaced it on the screens, flying at fifteen hundred feet. The back hatch opened, and two mobile suits dropped out of it. Neri's suit was third. She disengaged the grips to the plane's belly and free-fell out of the hatch. Quickly she activated her thrusters and righted herself, so she would be in a good position for landing. With a tremor and a dull thud she hit the ground, keeping her balance easily. The screens went blank and a "Mission: Complete" filled the front screen in white letters.

            _That was it? Too easy_, she thought to herself. Bringing back up the list, Neri chose a scenario close to the bottom. When the screens went blank again and turned back on, she found herself in a suit with flying capabilities in the middle of a dogfight. Neri dove, barely avoiding a barrage of bullets aimed where she just had been. Turning to face upwards, Neri fired off a spray of energy from her cannon at the suit flying overhead—the one that had almost hit her. It exploded as the energy ripped through it.

            Neri realized that her group members had red ID marks on them and the enemy had green. Her group was much smaller as well. The screen suddenly froze and a bunch of words appeared. She read: _Your mission is to destroy the green enemy while keeping as many of the reds alive as possible._

            "Shouldn't be too hard," she said to herself as the words vanished and the dogfight reappeared. A small inset above the right screen showed how many reds were around and how many greens there were. Neri blasted a suit coming for her out of the sky, then narrowly avoided an attack from another—which ended up destroying one of its teams' suits. She continued in this manner until only one persistent green suit was left. She had started with nine other reds, and seven were undamaged. The other two were either damaged or destroyed.

            Her group headed for the ground, and she followed, at least until the remaining green suit came right for her. Neri dove, then rolled to the left to avoid an attack. She righted herself and headed for the sun, then dove back down. _The pilot can't see me in the sun's glare_, Neri thought. Aiming carefully with her cannon, she fired a blast and destroyed the suit. The screen went blank and the hatch opened.

            "Why is the hatch opening?" she asked into her headset.

            "I wanted to congratulate you in person," a voice sounded.

            "Huh?"

            A young man of about eighteen walked over to her sim. "I was in the suit that you just destroyed. Getting into the sun's glare is a good trick."

            "Who are you?" Neri asked, confused.

            "I'm a new grad of the pilot's school located about five miles away," he answered. He added sheepishly, "And now look at me—I've been defeated by a young girl who's never been in a sim before, much less an actual suit."

            "I had no idea that there were others in the sim with me. I thought it was just computer."

            "Your father asked me to try and blow you out of the sky, to test your skills. I thought it would be a piece of cake, but obviously it wasn't."

            Neri climbed out of the simulator. "I'd love to fly with or against you sometime—sometime when the sun isn't shining," he told her, extending his hand.

            She shook it. "It would be my pleasure. What's your name?"

            "Matt Reinard."

            "Neri Duvall."

            "Some other time, then?" he asked, moving away.

            "Of course," she answered, and left as well.

            "So, how was it?" her father asked.

            "Pretty easy. Did you really ask him to try and blow me out of the sky?"

            "Yes. I knew you were good, but how good you were I had no idea. Now I know. Come with me," he told her.

            "Okay." Her father led Neri through many hallways and doors, so many that she felt completely lost. "Where are we?"

            "You'll see in a moment." After a few more minutes they ended up in a small room filled with computers. He led her to a large screen and tapped on it for a moment. An image came up. Neri whistled.

            "That is one nice-looking mobile suit," she said in awe. "It's at least twice the size of the one I was simming with."

            "It's called a Gundam, made up of Gundanium alloy."

            "A Gundam?"

            "Yes."

            Neri looked at her father quizzically. "And why are you telling me this?"

            "Our colonies are ruled with an iron fist, you know."

            "Yeah, I know. And there's not a single blasted thing we can do about it!"

            "Yes, there is." He indicated the screen. "There is this Gundam."

            "What about it?"

            "It's yours."

            "What?!?"

            "You get to pilot it – after extensive training in it, of course – and use it against the Alliance, or rather, OZ."

            "OZ?"

            "I'll explain more as you improve. Your mission is to protect the colonies and help bring peace back to Earth and space."

            "I'm just a kid!"

            "Oh, don't worry, you won't have any missions for at least another two years."

            The girl was silent for a moment as she pondered her new assignment.  "Tousan, is this why you've always pushed me to excel in all of those flight simulator and dogfight-type video games?"

            "Well, yes.  I wanted to see if you were talented in this area, and as you grew and your skills constantly improved, I planned to employ you as this suit's pilot."  He paused briefly.  "Are you alright with that, Neri?"

            She smiled up at him.  "Of course.  I've never been one to sit still when stuff is going on – important stuff – right?"

            He smiled back.  "Quite true."

            This was the first Neri knew about the Gundams. After she and her father left Earth and returned to the colonies, school and training took up all of her time. She named her Gundam "Novastar" because "nova" meant the birth of a new star—indicating her wish of the birth of a new, peaceful world for all to live in and enjoy.

            A while later, well over a year after her training had begun, Neri was home alone, looking for more paper for an assignment due the next day. Rummaging around on her father's desk, she found an old book lying open. The pages were filled with her father's handwriting. Curious, Neri read the latest entry: _Neri's training is going better than I had ever hoped! She will certainly aid the colonies in their quest for freedom and peace. One interesting thing happened yesterday. I received word that Trista's cousin's only son, Quatre Raberba Winner, is also a Gundam pilot. I probably would have heard something sooner had our families still been on speaking terms. I still don't know why the animosity exists, but it is still there… Here Neri stopped reading._

            _My unknown cousin…also a Gundam pilot? she thought in disbelief. __I wish I could meet him…I also wonder what the rift is between our families. Neri sighed and returned to her search._

* * *

            It was now A.C. 195, and things were stirring up. Neri and her father had heard of Operation Meteor, called by the Gundams' enemy, the United Earth Sphere Alliance, "Operation M." This operation sent five Gundams and their pilots to Earth, in hopes to cripple or even destroy OZ. The Gundams wreaked havoc on OZ and Alliance bases in their hit-and-run style of attacks.

            Neri watched it all from her place in the colonies, itching to be a part of the battle. But she knew that she was a reserve, only to come out into the open when the colonies were threatened. And she received her chance after the Antarctica battle between Zechs Merquise and Heero Yuy, when outer space began to stir, and the lunar base was set up on the surface of the moon…


	6. Celebration

            Neri jumped when a knock sounded on her door, startling her out of her reverie. Glancing at a nearby wall clock, she realized that over an hour had gone by. _Wow, how time does fly when you look back_, she thought. "Come in," she called out.

            Relena entered, then shut the door behind her. "I hope I'm not disturbing you," she said.

            "Oh, no, I was just remembering back when I first heard about the Gundams."

            Relena sat down in the chair across from Neri and leaned forward, curious. "How did you find out about them, and become a Gundam pilot?"

            Neri told her the whole story, except for the part about she and Quatre being related.

            "Wow. Did you ever talk to that guy again?"

            "Yeah. He helped me through the beginning of my training. I haven't talked to him for about a year, though." Neri paused for a moment. "Hey, weren't you going to say something when you first came in here?"

            "Oh, I almost forgot. We were going to have a party celebrating the fact that the war's over, but it was postponed because of your accident. It'll take place on Saturday, and we're dressing up and everything. Would you like to come?"

            "Of course!"  Neri laughed suddenly.  "Is Heero up for it?"

            "Eh…"  Relena chuckled.  "Sort of. You know how he is about these things."

            "Uh huh. On the other hand, I bet Duo loves the idea."

            Her friend laughed. "He certainly does."

            The two young women chatted idly for a while about the party, then Relena asked abruptly, "How do you feel about Trowa?"

            Neri jerked slightly, caught off guard by this remark. She answered carefully, "Why?"

            "I was just wondering. I think he may care about you."

            Neri snorted derisively. "Yeah, right. After what I did to him?"

            Relena, about to say more, caught Neri's self-deprecating expression and fell silent.  After a brief pause, she spoke up once more.  "Do you care for him?"

            She looked away, out at the stars. "Yes, but nothing will ever come of it." She turned to face her, and said, "Don't say anything of it to anyone else, please."

            "Of course. I'll go now." Relena stood up and moved toward the door. However, Neri's voice stopped her for a moment. "Thanks for coming by to see me.  It's nice to have a girl-to-girl chat every once in a while."

            Relena turned and smiled. "I agree."

* * *

            That Saturday morning, Neri took out the only dress she owned. Humming to herself, she hung it up in the middle of her room so it could air out somewhat. A few hours later, right after lunch, she went over to the dining area to help Relena and Sally set up.

            "So who all is going to be here?" Neri asked as they put up decorations.

            "All the guys, Miss Noin, Hilde, and us," Relena replied.

            "So few?"

            "Yeah. I thought that would be best, considering all we've been through."

            "Yeah…keeping it to the core group that it's been for so long is a good idea. So what exactly are we going to do this evening?"

            "It'll be just a time for us to let go, you know, have some fun for once."

            "Yeah, I know. It's been so long since I was last at a party."

            "I'm glad your father thought of you bringing along a dress—just in case."

            Neri nodded. Two hours later the room had been transformed. The three stepped back to admire their handiwork. "Wow—what a difference," Sally commented.

            "I'll say. It's amazing to think that this was once an upgraded mess hall," Neri agreed. The tables had been moved out of the way for smaller round tables, each seating two or three. The middle of the floor was open to accommodate dancing, and the back doors opened up onto a patio with a few benches overlooking a rose garden. The streamers draped across the ceiling, accompanied by balloons, gave the room a festive atmosphere.

          Later, after Sally had left to help Miss Noin with the food, Neri asked Relena, "So, what do the guys think of all this? I mean, I never thought Heero was the celebrative type."

            "He wasn't.  He still isn't, really, but I think he's opened up a lot since I first met him. So has Trowa. Now that I think of it, Sally has helped Wufei a bit.  Duo and Quatre are just themselves, if you know what I mean."

            Neri nodded. "What's Hilde like?"

            "She's a good balance for Duo. Where he lacks, she's there to fill in. But she can be silly at times too, just like the rest of us."

            The two went their separate ways to get ready for the evening after chatting for a few more minutes.

            Neri, after taking a luxuriating bath, carefully did her hair in a way that she had never even tried to do before. A clip pulled her hair up in a twist at the back of her head, and curls escaped at the top, cascading down the sides and bouncing slightly whenever she moved.  She looked over her reflection in the small mirror.  _Enh__, I guess it's not too bad…I hope Trowa noti—snap out of it, girl!  There's nothing between you two.  Get used to it._

            Her gaze returned to the mirror.  The lavender dress fell down to her ankles. Sleeveless, it was held up by thin straps of the same color.  The gown's neckline was low and wide. A small sash, sewn into the dress at the neckline and flowing down into an elegant tail in the back, accented the dress. She slipped on a pair of light gold sandals, low-heeled so they would not add much to her height. A gold necklace with a matching gold heart charm sat around her neck, completing the outfit.

           Neri loved the dress because it swished as she walked. However, she cautiously walked out toward the dining room, feeling rather self-conscious all of a sudden. _How long has it been since I last wore a dress, or even a skirt? At least two years, I think. She chuckled to herself. __I don't think I've dressed up ever since I first heard the word "Gundam." It sure has absorbed my life for the past two years, hasn't it?_

            Someone tapped her right shoulder. Neri turned around gracefully to see Quatre in a suit, bowing. "May I escort you in?" he asked, offering his arm as he stood up.

            She giggled. "Yes, thank you, kind sir." They shared a laugh as they walked in, arm in arm.

            Trowa was talking to Duo as they came in. His eyes narrowed for a brief moment when he saw them walking together in that manner.  Immediately he tried to ignore the feeling that rose up in him at the sight as he continued his conversation. 

            Duo caught the fleeting expression, however.  _What was that about?  Oh, well…_

            Once they had all arrived, Relena announced that each guest's name was on a placard at one of the tables—arranged in a semi-circle—at their seat for the evening. The first table consisted of Duo and Hilde; the second Sally and Wufei; the third Relena, Heero, and Miss Noin; and the fourth Neri, Quatre, and Trowa.

            The meal was excellent. First a course of French bread, then soup, then the main course—a type of meat dish, then dessert.   _Relena__ must have ordered a group of caterers here for this, Neri thought as she ate._

            After the meal there was a short time of dancing. Quatre asked Neri as the music started, "May I have this dance?"

            "Certainly," she replied. The two moved off. Trowa asked Miss Noin later, feeling rather alone after his tablemates had left. Then Neri danced with Duo, who proved to be a rather good dancer.

            "You look nice this evening, Neri," he complimented her.

            "Why, thank you, Duo."  She grinned at him.  "Tell me you'll look at me more kindly than you did when you first met me."

            He gasped in mock horror.  "Neri!  Surely you know me better than that by now!"

            "Oh, do I?"

            "Well…I've known you a little while…I don't do that kind of thing now," he sniffed.

            She laughed.  "So how do you feel to be done with all this?" 

            "Kind of weird. I mean, it seems like this war has been my whole life, you know?"

            "Yeah. It's only been three years for me, but it seems like forever."

            "What are you going to do with yourself now?"

            "I guess I'll go back to school in the colonies and be with my father. Doesn't sound like much compared to the life I've been living lately."

            "I'll probably just go back to my junkyard business.  I'm not sure where to start up again, though."

            "Why don't you come up to the colonies with me? It would be nice to go home and know people my age there."

            "I know what you mean.  I think Hilde's coming with me to help out.  She…kind of keeps my head on my shoulders as far as my business is concerned," Duo said with a sheepish grin.  "Which colony are you going to, anyway?"

            She told him. His eyes widened. "Really?  I think that was one of the places Hilde had in mind."

            "Great!  Oh, I feel so much better now."

            "Will you be needing any junk?" he asked, a twinkle in his eye.

            She laughed.  "Yeah, right.  I'll probably be one of the people selling it to you."

            His face fell.  "Selling?"

            "Well, since we _are friends, I might give you a reduced price."_

            "Might?"

            "Oh, fine.  If I really had no use for it, I might just up and give it to you.  Since my father is…well, was…in the mobile suit business, I'm sure he has junk to spare."

            "Sugoi!  We'll have a place to start from!"

            "Er, well, I'll have to find out if there really is junk to be had…but I will try to get it to you if at all possible, if we do have some."

            "Sounds good."  Shortly afterward the song number ended and the pairs had a chance to sit down again.

            Later on, to Neri's surprise—part delight, part apprehension—Trowa asked her to a dance.

            "What will you do with yourself, now, Trowa?" she asked, her self- conscious feeling returning at their closeness. _Wow, he's a good dancer. He moves so well—must be due to his circus training._

            "I think I'll go find a place in a circus somewhere."  A pang tore at his heart at the thought of working at a circus without his sister, but he forcefully pushed it away as he gazed at his dancing partner.  _She looks really good tonight. Much better than she did a few days ago._

            They chatted idly, both feeling a little uncomfortable, and soon the dance ended. Since it was a warm evening, the group moved outside to the patio, where a full moon shone. Neri and Quatre moved over to one of the benches and sat down, oblivious to the fact that Trowa was watching them.

            "Is something bothering you?" Quatre asked quietly, for Neri's ears only.

            Neri looked at him with brimming eyes. "You know what it is."

            "I—I don't know what to say. I'm sorry."

            "Oh, that's okay, Quatre. I know you always do your best to be uplifting. Thanks," she said, giving him a sad smile.

            He squeezed her hand. "I'm so glad we're cousins. Do you have any idea why your parents and mine had a spat?"

            She shook her head. "No. I've been wondering that ever since I found out that you existed. I think my dad was wondering that too. But the secret died with my mom, so we never did find out."

            "Does your father know that you know that we're cousins?"

            "I don't think so. I doubt it." She sighed. "I've been asking everyone this question all evening, so now it's your turn: What are you going to do now that the war is over?"

            "I don't know. Probably figure out everything my father left me, as heir to the Winner family. What about you?"

            "I'll probably just go back home, back to school, back to my old life."

            "I'll come visit you sometime, then."

            "Please do! I feel like I've known you guys forever, and to leave now is not a happy thought."  She looked out at the scenery, pausing for a moment before speaking again. "I'm really going to miss this place."

            Quatre read into what she said, thinking, _I think she's saying she's going to miss Trowa, but I'm not sure. There's no way I can tell her about what he did while she was in a coma, but I wish there was some way I could get them together or something. They're both miserable!_

            "How is he doing?"

            "Much better than before."

            "Oh." Neri, after a moment's silence, stood up and said, "I'll be back in a little bit. I just want to walk around for a while."

            Quatre just nodded. Neri slowly walked away towards the side gardens and was soon out of sight after she had rounded the corner of the building. He sighed, stood up, and walked over to the railing. Looking down, he saw the small rose garden off to his left, and the lake below shining in the moonlight.

            "Quatre?" Trowa asked, walking up to join him on the railing.

            "Yes, Trowa?"

            "You like Neri, don't you?"

            Quatre was startled. "Well, yeah, I guess you could say that."

            "I won't get in the way." Trowa began walking off when Quatre grabbed his arm, stopping him.

            "What do you mean?"

            "It's obvious that she likes you, and you like her. Like I said, I won't get in the way."

            Quatre chuckled and shook his head.

            "What's so funny?"

            "It's not like that at all."

            "What?"

            "You see, she and I are cousins. Well, second cousins through our mothers."

            Trowa merely stared at him, disbelief written all over his face.

            His friend nodded.  "We're related."

            Trowa leaned against the rail in shock. "Cousins?"

            After a moment's silence, Quatre nudged him in the direction Neri had taken. "Go on."

            "What?"

            "Go on," he repeated. "Surprise her. Trust me."

            Trowa blinked a couple of times, then left. Quatre shook his head and smiled. _Well, that wasn't the way I thought it would be, but it worked out pretty well all the same._

            Trowa moved slowly along the path, his mind racing. _What did Quatre mean by that? She'll reject me, I'm sure. What am I to say? I've never done anything like this before…_

            Meanwhile, Neri sat on a bench in a small clearing sheathed in soft moonlight, surrounded by lovely rosebushes and assorted deciduous trees, with the buildings of the complex about fifty yards behind her. Her chin rested on her hand as she stared out onto the lake, her mind wandering. _How I'll miss this place! It hasn't been home to me for all that long, but, still, I don't know if I'll ever be able to come back. And, I'll never see Trowa again._ A lone tear coursed down her cheek.

            Another one followed, but was stopped short by a finger—and it was not Neri's. Startled, she stood up and whirled around, seeing only a dark outline of a person against the trees.

            "I didn't mean to startle you like that, Neri," an all-too familiar voice told her. "I'm sorry."

            "Trowa?"

            He responded by moving into the moonlight. _He looks so good in a suit_, Neri thought. Trowa opened his mouth to say something, but closed it without making a sound.

            Neri felt a little embarrassed at the fact that Trowa had caught her crying. _He must think I am such a wimp…_

            Trowa did not know what to say. _What now? I'm making a fool of myself just standing here, but I'm at a loss for words._

            The silence thickened as the seconds ticked by, both feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. Eventually Neri could not stand it anymore. "I have to go. Goodbye, Trowa," she said, her voice wavering slightly. She turned to leave when he grabbed her arm. She whirled back around, her face ending up inches from his. "Don't go."

            Neri looked at him with a mixture of annoyance, regret, and hope on her face as her heart began pounding due to their close proximity to each other.

            "Why goodbye?" he asked, his eyes searching hers.

            She shook her head. "I need to leave, and now is a good time."

            "Without saying goodbye to anyone?"

            Neri replied by looking away, and wrenched her arm out of Trowa's grasp.

            He took a deep breath, and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I don't know how to say this very well, but…I like you, Neri."

            She looked at him, skepticism written all over her face. "After what I did to you? Impossible."

            "No, it's not. I wasn't sure at first, but when I saw you like that…well, I knew then as I know now that I truly do care about you." This time he was the one who looked away as his hands dropped to his sides. "Now you know, and you can go if you wish."

            "No." He looked back at her, astonished. "I—I care about you, too, Trowa. I have for a long time."

            He looked at her for a moment, then a smile slowly spread across his face. "Really?"

            She smiled shyly and nodded.  His hands slipped around her waist, pulling her closer to him.  Neri wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder.  Trowa kissed her forehead gently before glancing up at the stars.

            The young woman's gaze followed his.  "They certainly are beautiful tonight."

            He nodded.  "Just like you."

            Neri sighed happily as she closed her eyes and nestled deeper into Trowa's arms.  He gazed down at her moonlight-bathed face and gently caressed her cheek with one finger.  He bent his head down closer to hers as she opened her eyes again.  "Thank you, Trowa," she said softly.

            "No, thank you, Neri," he replied, his voice even softer as he moved to kiss her.  


End file.
